Tracey Doonan II

Details of samples and sketches by Tracey Doonan's graduate collection 'Electrical Components'.

Tracey Doonan

For her degree collection at Gray's School of Art Tracey Doonan focussed on creating a colourful collection of practical rainwear integrating and experimenting with materials not usually used as fabrics such as duct tape and electrical cabling..

"For my collection I have been investigating the components of our functioning technology that our modern day society depends on. I have been able to explore and experiment with materials that are not commonly used within textiles. The aim within my project was to show a mixture of traditional and modern techniques but using materials which would give my sample interesting textures and patterns." Tracey Doonan

Becky Hollis

Becky Hollis graduated in 2014 from London School of Fashion and is now studying for a MFA in costume design at Edinburgh College of Art, in these costumes, she explores sleep paralysis.

Sleep Paralysis: A Waking Nightmare, explores its title subject; the nightmarish phenomenon that is sleep paralysis. In an immersive theatre experience, a very select audience will be invited to a house, transporting them back to 1975.
Still very little is known about this worldwide sleep disorder. Sleep Paralysis: A Waking Nightmare is designed to not only frighten willing audience members but to educate them on the effects of suffering from sleep paralysis. Each experience of sleep paralysis differs immensely, and here we take a glimpse at four separate cases.
Sleep Paralysis: A Waking Nightmare plans to open the bedroom door and invite you in.
My design work explored the effects of sleep paralysis. The striped night dress is cast in resin while the wig is laced onto a wire frame. The costume is 'frozen in time', portraying a typical symptom of sleep paralysis; where sufferers feel paralysed in their bed, unable to move their body. Becky Hollis

"Many sufferers see a Shadow type figure in the walls. My 'Shadow Man' is made from custom designed wallpaper prints. Each print is pieced together, with some prints 'peeling' like old wallpaper. The 'Shadow Man', eight foot tall, appears from the corners of the room, slowly reaching out of the walls. He holds a puppet version of the sleeper, controlling her during sleep paralysis." Becky Hollis

Megan Gallacher II

Megan Gallacher used 'City of God as the theme for her graduate collection creating a pop art madonna with neon accessories.

"City of God is a Brazilian crime drama which explores the lives of the inhabitants of one of the world's most notorious slums in Rio de Janeiro, and the drug wars which went on there, throughout the 1960's-8o's. My interpretation is a piece of contemporary theatre designed to be performed at the abandoned St. Peters Seminary in Cardross, questioning why governments spend millions on religious buildings and monuments, while the surrounding communities crumble. Taking inspiration from Rio, Slovakia and Glasgow, I have used printed textiles and symbolism, referencing religious practices, monuments and icon paintings to tell this gritty, vibrant tale." Megan Gallacher

Katy Powell

This project is based around a book called 'Selling Out' by Justina Robson, it’s an old favourite of mine. It features many fantasy characters such as demons, fairies and the like, but I wanted to make it into a Science fiction. The clothes are all based around biotechnology ideas where the wearer and clothes are symbiotic. The character (above) is a demon called Madame des Loupes, she is described as birdlike in the book and is supposed to be clairvoyant. I decided to use elements of the eye to make her costume, the body suit is an iris print, the cape: veins and connective tissue while the beak and collar are inspired by blood vessels. Katey Powell 

Harriet Ogden II

Harriet Ogden's second graduate collection was created for Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People. 

Chief of the Munrungs tribe & the Dust. The book is set amongst the fibres of a carpet. Fantasy creatures such as the Munrung tribe travel across the carpet. Surreal movement and the transformation of the human body lead my research. Parodies of everyday objects from our world were inspirational when designing for these characters (dust, receipt). Harriet Ogden

These costumes came alive with dance and reminded me of some of Nick Cave's sound suits. 

This costume used drop sheeting that is a felt of fabric scraps created using waste textiles, the perfect carpet dust creature textile.

Beth Bullock

These are Beth Bullock's costumes for 'Ring Round The Moon' by Christopher Fry.

"Joshua the crumbling butler and Isabelle, the belle of the ball. An adaptation of Jean Anouilh's Invitation to the Castle, written and first produced in the 1950's London the play was senseless in nature, providing escapism for post-war audiences. Being host to a group of eccentric characters both wealthy and poverty stricken. Influences have come from post-war design such as 1920's silent film, and 1950's burlesque and couture."  Beth Bullock

                     Isabelle photographed by Laurence Winram

Above is the stylish elegant, couture costume of Isabelle. In contrast the costume for Joshua was fantastic in it's abstract, accentuated proportions, enormous collars and cuffs, one arm trailing the ground, the other normal to facilitate holding the tray at a jaunty angle. All with a faded grandeur created by a fraying waistcoat and beautiful satin jacket embellished with golden trim and many golden paper mâché balls as beaded trim. The fabulous Samuel Froggatt completely bought this character to life.

An-Ru Cheng I

"Daniel and Esther; 'The Possibility of an Island' is a nihilistic fiction, alternating between past and future. Daniel is a misanthropic comedian whose costume is inspired by 18th Century tailoring and laughter. Esther is a passionate actress who has many lovers, including Daniel. her costume is inspired by the instability and passion of love." An-Ru Cheng

In the costume of Esther An-Ru has created a woven bodice of cords that reach out like tendrils, when the wearer moves, but also very much resembles an arterial system, knotted closely over Esher's heart.
Daniel's tailored outfit is embellished with laughing faces it is a silent movie of a costume, mimed silent expressions leap out from the mask, the waistcoat and the tails of the jacket.

Rhia Cook

This week is DCA degree show and I stole away on Monday to see what wonders had emerged in this year's graduate portfolios. I always love the work of the textiles department, imparticular their sketchbook and development work is fantastic to see. Rhia Cook's work really caught my eye and made me smile as she had been working with figures from British politics, Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon.

Collaging features printing, embroidering and flocking them onto fabric and creating a bespoke knitted waistcoat for the cyclist, Mr Corbyn.

"Young people have a reputation for not being engaged in politics. Consistently low voter turnout in 18-24-year-olds has led to many politicians not focusing on appealing to this audience. This has lead to young people’s voices being underrepresented in parliament. To tackle this, I have created a range of textile objects that aim to get more young people in universities to talk about politics and, in turn, have their opinions heard by politicians. By making funny textiles and using them as a facilitator in a workshop style setting, the issues that are important to young people are raised and documented. The hope is that the views gathered, when broadcast, will spark real change and encourage more young people to talk about politics. The collection is heavily influenced by political satire, with its focus being gently mocking Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon, two politicians who are already making headway in engaging young voters. Visually, inspiration has been taken from the oddness of Dadaism and the politician’s personalities to create a gentle, mossy Corbyn and bold, nationalistic Sturgeon. Together, the combination of humour and soft 3D textiles provides an almost child-like, non-threatening way to introduce the idea of politics into conversations, changing the tone from serious to silly to engage more young people. The objects I’ve created may make you laugh, but they also make having the often-awkward conversation of politics just that little bit easier." Rhia Cook